Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Cake
Hello friends! Today I bring a vegan and paleo cake recipe! This marvelous Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Cake! Topped with Peanut Butter Vegan Truffles.
This vegan cake is also paleo, gluten-free, refined sugar free, but full of flavor and deliciousness. Super moist, rich, indulgent!
I topped the cake with my delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter truffles. Currently, I am working on a post for my peanut butter truffles because they are THAT good and deserve their own post. Update: HERE is the link for my Vegan Peanut Butter Truffles.
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I mean, check out these truffles, don’t you think they deserve their very own special post?
I seriously couldn’t help myself from wanting to eat them all!
Anyway, back to the cake. The truffles are a great addition to this delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Cake.
You can see how I decorated this cake in the following video.
Like I’ve explained on my Chocolate Strawberry Cupcake post, I am just learning how to make videos, so please bear with me while I get through the huge learning curve. It’s been as fun, as it’s been challenging!
Tips to make this Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Cake
The chocolate cake itself is very moist, so handle it with care.
Make sure the cake is cold from the fridge when you frost it, because the cold cake will be sturdier.
The vegan peanut butter frosting has to rest quite a bit in the fridge before you are able to use it. I let mine rest overnight. If it’s too runny, it’s because you’ve measured the ingredients wrong.
I also use this same frosting here in my Chocolate Chip Cookie Vegan Cupcakes, but in a chocolate version. It’s a very versatile and delicious frosting.
Tips for obtaining the perfect ganache drip
Make sure the ganache is at room temperature, not cold, and not warm.
I usually like to make the ganache and let it rest on the counter for a couple of hours, or less time depending on the temperature of the room, to let cool down to room temperature.
If I have to make the ganache ahead and store it in the fridge, I always make sure to remove it from the fridge a few hours before making my recipe.
You can also try heating the ganache in the microwave a few seconds at a time, stirring in between, to achieve the perfect consistency.
Alternatively, if the ganache is too runny and warm, you may put it in the fridge and stir it every few minutes, and let it get firmer.
To test the ganache, simply drip a small drop down the side of the cake, and watch it roll down. If it rolls all the way to the bottom, too fast, it means the ganache is probably too runny, and could use some chill time.
If the drop barely moves, it means the ganache is too stiff and needs to be warmed up slightly.
You are looking for a drop that slowly runs down to about the middle of the cake and stops. That’s when you know your ganache is ready to make the drip.
Now if you are dying to see the inside of the cake, I want to show it to you. The picture I have from the inside of the cake is from my first time testing for this recipe, and I only had 3 layers of cake instead of 4, so I decided to make the cake one layer taller the second time around.
But seriously, check out this moisture. I was absolutely addicted to this cake!!
Hopefully you loved today’s post, as much as I have loved making this Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Cake!
Here’s one more picture of my truffles, don’t forget the recipe is coming soon.
If you would like to see more Vegan Dessert Recipes, please click here.
Here are some of my favorites: Chocolate Chip Cookie Vegan Cupcake, Vegan Coconut Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Vegan Pie, Pecan Brownie Vegan Pie, Fig and Pistachio Vegan Cheesecake.
Thank you for reading my blog. Have a great day!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds
- 5 tablespoons warm water
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup arrowroot flour
- 1 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup almond milk or any other nut milk
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Buter Frosting
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked in water overnight*
- 2 tablespoons-1/4 cup maple syrup**
- 1/3 cup coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon coconut butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegan Ganache
- 1/3 cup coconut cream 3 oz, 85 grams
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips 3.1 oz, 90 grams
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350F.
- Line 4 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease them by brushing the pans with avocado oil. Set aside.
- Mix flax seeds with warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes to get thick, while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Sift together the almond flour, coconut sugar, arrowroot flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a bowl. Set aside.
- Mix milk, avocado oil, apple sauce, vanilla, and flax egg in a bowl. Add dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula until combined.
- Divide batter into the 4 pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans in the oven to ensure even baking.
- Touch the cake with your finger, if it springs back it’s done. If it forms a dimple, means your cake needs to be baked longer. Keep checking so you don’t let it overbake.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Turn cakes onto a cooling rack. Let them cool completely, wrap and refrigerate them. It will make a difference to frost them while they are cold, because they will be sturdier, since this is a very moist and scrumptious cake.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- Drain cashews, place in the food processor together with maple syrup, coconut cream, peanut butter, lemon juice, coconut butter, and vanilla extract.
- Process until creamy and smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl and cover. Place it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight, to solidify.
Vegan Ganache
- Heat the coconut cream until it almost reaches a boil.
- Pour over chocolate chips. Wait a couple of minutes.
- Stir mixture with a spatula gently, until all chocolate has melted.
- If chocolate doesn’t melt, and you still see lumps, you want to place your ganache bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted entirely.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature.
To assemble
- Place a slice of cake on a cake plate, or cake board.
- Spread some of the frosting in the middle. Place another cake on top.
- Keep doing this to all layers.
- Cover the cake with the frosting. Use a spatula or bench scraper to smooth the surface of the cake.
- Let it chill in the fridge until cold.
- Now it’s time to pour the ganache on top. You want the ganache to be at the perfect consistency, it can’t be too runny, and it can’t be too stiff. If your ganache is too runny, place it in the fridge for a few minutes and stir, repeating this until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Alternatively, if ganache is too stiff or hardened, you want to place it in the microwave for 3 second intervals, stirring in between, until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Test by dropping a small droplet on the side of the cake and watch how the drip flows, if it’s reaching the bottom of the cake too fast, it means it might be too runny, and if it doesn’t run down the cake, means it might be too stiff.
- You want the drip to stop in the middle of the cake, that’s when you know your ganache is at the perfect consistency.
- Let cake chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before slicing.
- Decorate with the peanut butter truffles.
Storage
- This cake will store nicely in the fridge or freezer.
- Simply make sure to package it really well if you plan on freezing it, and only do it up to 1 month.
- It will keep nicely in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I would love the recipe for the truffles!
Absolutely Abbey! I have published it yesterday. Here is the link https://www.piesandtacos.compeanut-butter-vegan-truffles/
I am also going to update the post above to contain the link to the truffles. Thank you so much!
Can you do larger cake pans but less layers? How would you adjust the recipe or cook time to make it work?
Yes, I would do two 8 inch layers in this case.
The cakes might need a bit more time cooking, probably an extra 5 minutes. To check if the cake is done baking, you can touch the top of the cake very gently, if it springs back and seems firm, then the cake is baked. You can also use a toothpick to check, insert it in the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is ready. The toothpick might have a few crumbs sticking to it, but as long as there’s no actual batter, it’s ok.
I would keep the recipe the same, including the frosting.
Thank you Leanna!!
Have a great day!
Hi! Do you think I can I replace the arrowroot flour with tapioca flour? Thanks!
Hello Annette, yes in this case it would be fine to replace arrowroot flour with tapioca flour.
Thank you so much!!
Have a great day!!
Hey! I am making this cake this weekend for a party, do you think it would be fine to replace the almond flour with regular bob mill’s gluten-free flour? I am a little hesitant to make it with the almond flour as normally it is a little too crumbly and delicate when I bake with it. Did you find that to be the case or does it hold texture pretty well? I just want to be on the safe side as I am traveling pretty far with the cake, 🙂 Thank you.
Hey there you can definitely replace it with gluten free bobs mill flour! The cake is very moist and fluffy, but I believe it would hold up pretty well. But if you wanna stay on the safe side, use the gf flour and it will be just as fine! Use the same amount to substitute! 🙂 hope it all turns out beautiful and delicious!! Have a beautiful day!
Hello. I dont have coconut butter, is there anything else I can use to replace it with?
any other type of nut butter will do 🙂
Hi, I want to make this cake but I only have 2-6 inch pans. Would I be able to make them in just two pans and just cut in half once they’re done? Thank you 🙂
So the problem with that is that they will be overflowing in the pan, they won’t bake right. So I recommend you bake two layers, leave the remaining batter covered, then remove the baked cakes from the oven once they are done baking, let them rest for 10 minutes, flip them out of the cake pan, grease it again, and then bake the rest of the cake batter 🙂
Hi!!!
Your recipe looks delicious. I want to make it, but I don’t have arrowroot flour, and avocado oil. Any suggestions of what to replace them for?
Thank you!
You can use instant tapioca or cornstarch, and any other oil you prefer.
Did anyone else have issues with their cake not rising? I only have an 8inch cake pan and didn’t have enough batter to make two. I thought the cake would rise and I could cut it in half, but it never did.
I had that same issue too! I had 2 pans and it didn’t seem like very much batter. It is maybe 2 centimetres high? 🙁 I also cooked for 5 extra minutes, as suggested, but had too cook even longer because I don’t have a toothpick and it kept making the “dimples”. It looks and tastes like a delicious moist brownie (saving this recipe if I ever want to make brownies LOL YUM) but I needed it for a birthday cake! I’m so curious what I did wrong.
Do I have to use cashews? Can I replace those with walnuts or almonds?
Also, can I replace the peanut butter with almond butter ?
I havent tried making this without cashews, but my guess is that those nuts won’t make such a sturdy result to be able to frost the cake. I am not sure though, it would have to be an experiment.
Perfect!!
Esse bolo ficou maravilhoso, parabéns Camila!!!!!
Obrigada!!!
I thought this recipe turned out pretty good, I would definitely make some adjustments the next time around though. For starters I read in the comments that you could substitute the arrowroot powder for cornstarch (next time I think I will only add maybe 2TBSP rather than 1/3 cup), that may be true but this batter was so thick it was almost like dough. In the description of this cake it was supposed to be super moist, mine was not, it was very dense and kind of dry. I ended up adding 1 TBSP of apple sauce and 3 TBSP’s of almond milk extra to make it spreadable in the pan. It doesn’t look like much when it’s in the pan either but it will rise quite a bit.
Otherwise I have no complaints, my frosting turned out great, I did add another TBSP of peanut butter for more flavor cause I thought the coconut was really strong. And my ganache tasted great but was a little messy, I didn’t put mine in a frosting bag, I just tried to do a pour over method.